A chronicle of the author's journey from a beginning trader to his current success. The text contains the key lessons he learned along the way, including both the lessons that led to success and the lessons that lead to failure. It enables the reader to avoid decisions based on the misrepresentations and false promises of the industry. All presented with the goal of making the readers journey shorter, less frustrating and less expensive. The contents present a realistic down to earth view of trading for the retail "home-based" trader.